1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to adhesive tapes and particularly to tapes having slits or grooves for receiving and securing generally flat articles in an upright position. The adhesive-backed tape of the present invention has a flexible, longitudinal groove for holding pictures or the like edgewise on a flat surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tapes having slits or cuts that improve the flexibility or pliability of the tape are known in the art. Generally, most cuts are implemented on tapes or other substrates to allow the tape to be more easily segmented or torn. U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,617, for example, shows a pressure sensitive, vinyl backed roll of adhesive tape whose opposite side faces are slit such that when the tape is unrolled, its opposite edges being slit transversely enable the tape to be easily torn transversely thereof.
It is also known in the art to provide adhesive tapes that are designed to join edges and make a pliable hinge adapted to flexibly connect two items. U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,353 to Wakeman demonstrates a tape construction capable of serving as a pliable hinge by combining two strips, each having mutually projecting fingers. As seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,202, there is disclosed a strippable tape, which can be easily stripped to free joints or flaps of cartons and the like. The bottom layer has an adhesive thereon and a longitudinal cut extending the length of the tape.
As should be known then, cuts and slit features that make up part of tape construction add to the flexibility or pliable nature of the adhesive, thereby allowing the tape to either maintain flat articles in a relatively movable position or ease the segmentation process.
Furthermore, common adhesive tapes not constructed to perform a function beyond that of simple adhesion generally hold an object flat against a surface. Much to the same effect as holding a picture against a billboard with a push-pin, a one or two-sided tape segment is normally placed along the edge or underneath, for example, a flat article to adhere the flat article against the surface. A drawback to the use of standard tape is evident inasmuch as the surface on which the card or picture is applied must be facing the user if the user wishes to view the article. The picture is held flat against the surface, or effectively in the same plane as the surface.
An individual using a computer, for example, may wish to adhere a note or a picture on the periphery of the viewing screen of the monitor, for example, which would be considered the flat surface. However, due to the lack of space along the periphery of the monitor and the aesthetic consequence of sticking notes thereon, there is a need for an adhesive tape that would allow for a flat article to be in view by placement elsewhere than on a front-facing surface.
Adhesion of a flat article may also be problematic when the surface in direct view is being painted or repaired, or in other instances when the surface itself exhibits material properties that are not conducive to such adhesion by a tape. Other surfaces may also be subject to damage if an adhesive tape is applied thereon. In similar instances, the applied tape may also tarnish the surface of a photograph or the like when the tape is removed directly from the article""s front-facing surface. Standard tape may further wear out after minimal uses.
It will be further appreciated then that there is a need for an adhesive tape that is adapted to pinch, rather than adhere, generally flat articles in a position in which the article is held normal, or edgewise to a surface. In this manner, the article of interest is in an easily removable and replaceable position and in direct view as that of the front-facing surface, but is not adhering to the front-facing surface and is situated substantially perpendicular to the front-facing surface.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an adhesive tape constructed to hold an article edgewise to a flat surface, thereby allowing a flat paper article to be placed on and viewed from a surface alternative to a front facing surface.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an adhesive tape that enables a photograph or the like to be situated in front or on top of a flat surface, whereby the picture is located parallel to the front-facing surface but not directly on the surface. This would be evident when the surface on which the flat article is attached is substantially perpendicular to the front-facing surface.
It is further an objective of the present invention to provide an adhesive tape that enables a photograph or the like to be situated underneath a flat surface, yet still be in direct view.
It is also an objective of the present invention to provide the tape of a construction that has a flexible feature for receiving and pinching the photograph or the like, and which is capable of being formed as roll to be unwound and segmented by perforation.
Accordingly, what is provided is an adhesive pinch tape having a top and adhesive backing revealed after a sticker is peeled therefrom. Two channel members are formed integral with and extend upwards from the top surface to define a longitudinal channel adapted to receive and pinch an edge of a semi-rigid flat article such as a photograph. Each channel member is preferably made of a flexible plastic material or rubber, and in one embodiment shaped semi-circular in cross-section. The tape body having the top and bottom surface is preferably made of a thin plastic or paper material such that the pinch tape can be formed into a compressed roll having perforated segments.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the channel may also be generally U-shaped in cross-section, with each channel member being a mirror image of one another such that the upper tips of each channel member are disposed toward one another. The top of the channel is then narrower than the bottom and the point of contact of the channel members occurs only at this top to increase a flex of each channel member.